Nurse Toxic Reporting for Duty!
by Toxic Wastenote
Summary: During and after 'Three's a Crowd'. Discord is sick and who volunteers to take care of him? Well who do you think! Toxic Wastenote is in charge of the chaotic spirit and on a regular basis she would be happy having him around. But he ends up unknowingly upsetting her and now she's a little on edge with him. But could her taking care of him make them closer... more than friends?
1. Jealousy

**Part 1: Jealousy **

The brightly colored train pulled up to the station and came to a stop at the platform where seven ponies awaited for it and to say goodbye to one of their friends.

"Here's a wrap in case it gets cold," Rarity said as she levitated the accessory into Fluttershy's bag. Fluttershy wore a bandana around her neck, a wilderness explore type hat on her head, and a green saddle bag around her midsection. All prepared for her trip to an animal's enthusiast group in Equestria that was inviting her to come and study cute little animals.

Applejack set down a basket of apples. "And ah' packed yuh' a basket uh nice fresh apples in case yuh' get hungry."

"Have a great time," Twilight told her friend.

"Oh I will," Fluttershy said as Twilight used her magic to fix Fluttershy's hat atop her head "and I hope you have fun with Cadance."

"Good luck out there Flutters," Toxic said before giving her friend a hug goodbye "And don't worry about your animals. I've got it covered while you're gone. You just focus on those adorable little creatures."

"Thanks Toxic. Just be careful with Angel. You know he's-"

"Fluttershy, you of all ponies know I can handle Angel. Just show him he's an equal and he listen's just fine to me."

The train's whistle sounded and the conductor pony shouted "All aboard!" as Fluttershy boarded the train.

The train started up again and Fluttershy stood in the last cart in the back waving and saying goodbye.

"Goodbye! Goodbye everypony!"

"FLUTTERSHY!"

Pinkie Pie yelled and dashed after the train following behind it.

"I'LL NEVER FORGET YOOOOOOOUUU!"

Then a red balloon floated by the sulking pony. "Ooh! Something floaty!" And she followed the balloon back towards the station. "La, la, la, la, la."

Back at the train station, Twilight was confiding her worries in her friends.

"Hhhhn, I'm a bit nervous about Cadance's visit."

"What could you be nervous about Twilight?" asked Applejack "Cadance just loves you tuh pieces!"

"I know, but-"

"You want everything to go perfectly and you're terrified something will once again go wrong when you two meet up?" Toxic interrupted.

"How did you-"

"Did any of you ever notice that _every_ disaster that happens seems to happen in Ponyville first? Like even if the bad guy doesn't even know you're the elements of harmony they still go after here _first_, ring a bell?"

All of them were quiet in a moment of thought.

"Huh," Applejack said.

Then pinkie came back, the balloon's string in her mouth, "Well why wouldn't it go off without a hitch?" As Pinkie asked her question the string slipped away and the balloon floated off once again.

"Well, the last three times we've seen each other, haven't exactly been 'worry free'." Twilight looked around nervously at her friends.

"Called it," Toxic whispered to herself.

"The fate of Equestria has hung in the balance during most of your visits with her," Rarity pointed out (echoed).

Twilight's expression deepened, "Exactly. Cadance and I haven't really had a chance to just enjoy being friends again." She smiled, "Which is why it is so important that this visit be about the two of us having some real quality time together."

"Ah'm guessin' you got a plan that'll keep er' that way," Applejack pointed at Twilight with a smugly knowing smile.

"The timing couldn't be more perfect. For one day only, right here in Ponyville, the Starswirl the Bearded traveling museum!"

Twilight pointed at the poster on the wall behind her of the museum's logo. "Cadance and I can spend the whole day looking at Starswirl the Bearded artifacts! "

"Sounds like a perfect drama free way to spend a day with Cadance," Rarity smiled.

"Not counting the drama surrounding which of the belts from his cloak they've chosen to put on display. Spoiler alert! It's this one," Twilight poked at the poster.

"Ugh… bad memories with traveling museum exhibits for me," Toxic said as she slightly shivered "my parents took the family to this thing on the human body back on Earth… it was terrifying."

"Why so? Rarity asked.

"Two words I don't ever want to repeat again. Dead bodies. All donated for science," she shivered again "I don't wanna talk about it."

The Rainbow Dash clutched her stomach while gagging furiously. When she stopped the others were staring at her annoyingly. "Uh, he he, sorry. Something in my throat. Like a big ball of- LAME!"

Rarity just tilted her head up back towards the group. "I think it sounds delightful."

"Definitely sounds like you two will have some _real_ quality time together." Applejack agrees.

"Exactly. Juuuuuust quiet time," Twilight said.

Then a train whistle shouted loudly and Twilight looked ahead eagerly with a smile. Speeding down the track was a train made of, you guessed it, crystal. As it came to a halt, the wheels screeched against the metal and the six ponies waiting covered their ears and squinted their faces in pain at the ear shattering sound.

"Gee! What'd they make the wheels out of crystal too?!" Toxic yelled as the train finally stopped.

Horns were blown and the train's first front door opened and two Pegasus guards stepped out, one a normal pony and one a crystal pony, and onto a rolled out red rug. Then stepped out Princess Cadance as she unfurled her wings and showed off in grace.

'_Eh, I've seen better,'_ Toxic thought while smiling.

Twilight smiled as she walked up to meet her sister-in-law, but Cadance bowed instead.

"Your highness."

Twilight looked puzzled before she herself bowed. "Your highness." Her friends bowed as well.

Cadance giggled, "I'm teasing Twilight. We're sisters-in-law, we don't have to be so formal." And with a nod from Cadance the guards got back on the train and the train once more started up again and left with a whistle.

"Knowing you, you've made some plans," Cadance said as she and Twilight walked away from the group.

"Boy have I," Twilight smiled before she remembered they had just walked away from her friends still behind them "hang on just one second." She turned and headed back to the five ponies behind her.

"You guys-"

"Now, now, don't you worry about a thing." Rarity cooed, "We will make sure nothing, but nothing, interferes with your visit."

"Go on! Have a hoot-an-hany with your kin folk!" Applejack said.

"We got this covered Twilight. Go do something I never got to do with my sister, stay in the same room for five minutes without fighting," Toxic's voice cracked at the end. Ok, she was a little jealous Twilight had such a nice relationship with her sister-in-law while she still doesn't even miss her little sister. But she still was a supportive friend before a jealous little girl.

"You really are the best friends a pony could ever have." And the group shared a small hug before Twilight turned back around. "Coming Cadance!" And Twilight took off after her sister-in-law.

"Huh, two sisters-in-law bonding," Pinkie said dreamily while holding her cheeks. She hadn't noticed the thing incoming from the sky behind her. "Well I for one am gonna make sure that nothing spoils their day."

"Pinkie," Toxic said as they all noticed the spiraling sound "I think you just jinxed it!"

"What is that thing?" Applejack asked.

"Whatever it is, DUUUUCK!"

Four of them hit the dirt… all but Pinkie Pie. "Rarity, that doesn't look anything like a du-" Toxic quickly wrapped a hoof around her friend and pulled her to the ground with the others. "Incoming!"

The spinning object flew right over their heads… and right into a tree.

The five got up from the floor boards of the station. "Everypony ok?" Toxic asked first and got four mumbled '_yes_'s in reply.

They all got off the platform of the station and walked to the tree slowly, except Rainbow who was still hovering in the air. "What, is that?!"

"That would be whatever we got jinxed with," Toxic said.

As leaves fell from the recently attacked tree, they could hear sniffling. "Oh, not a what."

'_No,'_ Toxic thought.

"But a who, dear."

'_No freakin' way.'_

"Oh no, that sounds like-!"

"ACHOO!" The innocent tree bystander had all its leaves erupt into blue flames and burn away in a second, revealing the 'who' in the tree.

'_Aw crap,'_ Toxic thought.

"DISCORD!"

"….."

"Called it," Toxic just couldn't help but point out.

**….. Opening Theme Song…..**

"What in tarnation are you doin' here?!" Applejack said, pointing accusingly.

"And why did you burn that poor tree's leaves? Answer me leaf murderer!" Toxic shouted.

"And why the jumpin' June bugs are yuh _blue_?"

"And the leaves! Am I the only one that cares that the tree is now naked?!"

She was.

"More like a shade of cerulean, to be precise," Rarity said (not so) discreetly.

Rainbow Dash scowled as she flew up into the tree. "Whatever color you are, it's the color of trouble!"

'_Ok even I say that's a little too far,'_ Toxic thought.

"Oh Rainbow Dash, I've changed. Surely you remember," Discord slid down the tree trunk and into a pile with his body on the ground "I was reformed by the lovely little- guh uh guh guh!"

'_Aw crap.'_

"ACHOO!" Discord flew backwards and his sneeze caused a house farther back to float up into the air and away.

"What are yuh sick or somethin'?" Applejack asked.

'_I'm the only one that cares about the floating house aren't I?_' Toxic thought to herself with a mental sigh.

Discord stood and straightened himself out. "Well of course I'm sick," he crossed his arms "the blue skin, these sneezes, could somebody find me a fainting couch?"

They all looked at Rarity. "What?"

"Awww, poor Dissy!" Toxic said sympathetically and flapped her wings before coming up to Discord's level and rubbing his head right behind his ears, which went back on reflex. "Are you ok? Is it dangerous? 'Gasp!' Is it fatal?!"

The green alicorn wrapped her hooves around his head and nuzzled her face into his scalp. "How long do you have?! Is there anything we can do?! You can't die! Aw poor Dissy!" Her voice mixed with real sobs that she swallowed over and over at the thought of losing her friend.

"…"

All was silent.

"Toxic calm down please! It's not fatal! And you'll get my fur all wet!"

The mare mentioned un-nuzzled her face out of his fur, let him free to breathe, and looked at him. "Y-You're _not _dying?"

"Not planning on it dear."

The mare punched his shoulder with her hoof and made him yelp. "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT THAN! You aren't getting away from me that easily mister!" She hugged him again tight before lowering back to the ground with the other three plus Rainbow hovering.

Applejack had a wary look as she walked up next to her friend and put a hoof on her shoulder. "You alright there sugar cube?"

Toxic just nodded. "Y-yeah I'm fine!" she looked back up at Discord "Don't EVER scare me like that! I know what being really sick is and it is painful!"

"What yuh mean?"

"I'm fine Applejack," Toxic assured "I just… lost some loved ones back on Earth due to being sick."

"But-"

"Just let it go… ok. I'm fine really! If I wasn't I'd probably not point out that a house floated off the ground and into the sky when Discord sneezed!"

A collective "What?"

"Seeeeee."

Pinkie Pie took the moment to push luggage over from the platform to where the group stood. And of course Discord took the moment to get back on track of whatever he was planning.

"How charming, thank you." The overly dramatic draconequus laid down against the luggage with one paw draped over his stomach and his talon held against the side of his head.

'_Chaos god, or Drama Queen?'_

"I can't stop sneezing and wheezing and in short," he snuffed and gave wide pleading eyes "I need help." He mewled in pleading.

Rainbow Dash flew up to his face once more and exclaimed while motioning with her hooves, "If you're so _sick_, why did you come here instead of… you know, stayin' home in bed and getting' over your weird illness?"

Silence. Then, "ACHOO!" Right at Rainbow Dash before blowing his nose in a tissue that then flew away like a pair of wings.

"Because this condition has left me simply _helpless_," he lay limply against the luggage.

'_Bull… Crap!'_ Toxic thought to herself.

Applejack cocked an eyebrow.

"Why, I can barely lift a spoon," an ice pack on his head, thermometer in his mouth, and a blanket clutched in his talon, Discord flashed a spoon in his paw. He tried lifting said spoon to his face, only to flip over comically face flat on the ground.

The group of mares shared suspicious glances with one another. None looked convinced of anything… except Discord had the brain of a child.

'_He's centuries old yet he acts like he's six'_

Rising from the dirt, Discord saw all the mares didn't believe him. "I came to find the one pony who truly understands me and could nurse me back to health."

'_Oh man, oh man, oh man! Does- does he- maybe mean… m-me?__' _Toxic felt her face heat up and it felt like tiny butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach at the idea of him meaning her. Her, out of all ponies, her.

"Now where is that dear, sweet Fluttershy?"

Toxic wasn't sure why, but she felt her heart hurt. Like a shard of glass sliced its way in halfway and was leaving her heart to bleed out in her chest, which was now heaving every ten seconds to keep the emotions from being noticed.

'_You STUPID, STUPID IDIOT! Why did you EVER think he would mean YOU?! Why are you even UPSET?! It's not like you two aren't friends anymore. He isn't DYING! So you shouldn't be upset!'_

Discord picked up Pinkie Pie to pointlessly look under where she stood. "I need attention."

'_B-but… why does my heart hurt?'_

He once again looked in an obviously empty place and uprooted the now bald tree to look under it. "I need some care."

'_Why is it- that him meaning Fluttershy- really makes me feel sick?'_

"I need-"

'_A GOOD BUCK IN THE HEAD!'_

"You need to chill," Rainbow clamped her hoof over his face to silence him while she talked. Then she backed up in the air. "Fluttershy's out," she told him with her hooves at her sides.

"Oh, of course. Her trip. To see the breezies. Oh yes, what, have I forgotten that that was today."

'_How could you think _she's_ the only one who understands you Discord? I owe my whole life here to you! I was hoping that we-"_

"How duh _you_ know about her trip?" Applejack questioned.

'_I mean you and- me maybe that you-'_

"She told me about it," he turned around and opened a suit case and began rummaging through it for something, and pulled out a written letter "in her last letter."

'_U-us- could-could maybe have been-'_

Discord presented the letter in front of Pinkie Pie for her to read. Pinkie, in return, quirked an eye at him and the letter before he pulled it away.

"You and Fluttershy write each other letters?"

'_We- just maybe- we could have had something-'_

"Well of course we do. We're friends."

'_Something… more.'_

He flashed a white light and suddenly he was wearing a teal hospital gown and wheeling around a fluid bag on a mobile stand. "It's just such a shame that today of _ALL_ days is when I really need her."

'_I-I guess I was w-wrong…'_ Toxic blinked over and over, trying with all her might to hold in the tears she had no explanation for. She didn't want the girls to worry, it was just her brain being stupid. And she _especially_ didn't want Discord to notice. If he wanted Fluttershy, then she was fine with that. If that was what he wanted. What he _really_ wanted. _'I-if h-he's happy, I-I'm ha-happy.'_

"Oh well," Discord continued his ranting completely oblivious to Toxic's struggles "I know what to do."

"Good thinkin'," Rainbow Dash said and flew behind him to push his back "head on home, put your feet up, I'm sure eventually you'll have the strength to make yourself soup or somethin'." She shoved him back over to the platform with a bowler hat and a suitcase and flew away with her back turned to him.

'_Hey! That isn't nice! Discord isn't… the most pleasant to be around, but he's our friend and needs help!'_

When Rainbow turned back around, she was shocked to find Discord standing exactly where had had just been.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. I mean while she's gone you ponies can take care of me."

'_What happened to Fluttershy being the _only_ one who understands you?'_

Discord slipped his head in between Applejack and Rarity. "Isn't that what friends are for?" he pulled both girls in for an awkward hug. "Taking care of each other." Two more arms reached out and grabbed the last three mares, Pinkie and Toxic in one and Rainbow Dash in the other. "_Let the healing begin_," he chuckled.

"Not it!"

Rainbow Dash darted away as fast as she could, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

'_What I would give to be her right now.'_

"Well, that's some way to treat a suffering friend," his face scrunched up and he sneezed again. This time his sneeze brought a lamp post to life, tipped its top, and walked off without all but Toxic noticing.

'_Once again I'm the only one that cares that that just happened.'_

"Don't you worry Discord!" Pinkie Pie bounced around "I'll give you cuddles and read you stories and tell yuh all about _me_!" The pink pony squeezed draconequus in a tight hug, cutting off most of his oxygen. "I was boooorn on a Tuesday-"

"Ohhhh ho you're so sweet to offer," Discord split his middle in two and reassembled after escaping Pinkie's death grip and picked her up and hung her still hugging hooves on an empty tree branch "But Rarity, Applejack, and Toxic already volunteered to be my own personal nurse maids." He chuckled darkly.

'_WHAT?!'_

"We did?!" Rarity and Applejack said in unison.

Toxic felt her eyes flash red. She had never felt so angry before, at least not in Equestria. _'We what?! We volunteered to do something he _specifically_ said _only_ Fluttershy could do?! He- he- AHHHHH!' _

"I so hope you don't mind, Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie let go of the branch and landed on her hooves on the ground. "Well as a matter of fact I most certainly-" Discord pulled out a red balloon right in front of her, immediately distracting her.

"Hey!" she bounced off after the balloon "Who keeps throwing away these perfectly good balloons?!"

Applejack scowled as she leaned in and whispered to her two remaining friends. "That joker's up to somethin', and whatever it is, we're gonna keep it as far away from Twilight and Princess Cadance as possible."

All three looked over to see Discord lying on a hospital bed, tongue hanging out as if he were dead, hands folded, and a heart monitor beeping in rhythm to his 'heartbeat'.

'_That son of a- DRAMA! QUEEN! Oh I can't believe him! MY GOD!' _

"Your right. We promised we wouldn't let anything ruin their visit. Although I do so wish that anything had turned out to be something else."

Suddenly the tree trunk morphed into Discord's body. "Did I hear you talking –_sniffle_- about Princess Cadance's visit with Princess Twilight?"

'_You- you- you- AHHHHH! He's planning something, OH MY GOD!'_

Applejack glared at him, "Maybe."

'_What are you planning Discord?!' _

"Fluttershy had mentioned that those two were getting together today."

'_Oh of course she did! It's all about _Fluttershy_ isn't it?! Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy! What's with him and her?! He acts like she's the only one who cares about him! WELL what about ME?! What about TOXIC WASTENOTE and DISCORD?! Do I even EXIST?! What is wrong with him?! Oooooh Fluttershy! I'm sooooo sick and too big a baby to take care of myself! I neeeeeeeed you! Wah! Wah! Wah! Cry! Cry! Cry! ERR RAHHHH! He makes me want to pull my mane out!'_

"How wonderful for them both. It is so rare that those two get to see one another. I don't know about you but I sometimes wonder how close they could actually be." The girls could stop from glaring at him. "All those years apart before being reunited."

"They're plenty close," Applejack said.

"_Hate_," Toxic mumbled quietly under her breathe so none could hear. Every word Discord spoke made her blood boil even hotter.

"And if they're not, this rare opportunity to focus on their friendship will certainly bring them closer." He snipped his two paw digits together to demonstrate the two getting closer. "Unless…"

"Don't you even think about it. They mustn't be disturbed." Rarity snapped softly.

"_Hate_." Again she mumbled and none heard her.

"Disturb them?" he put his lion's paw on his chest in mock hurt "I wouldn't dream of it. Not when I have such dear friends of my own who have already offered to take care of me." He cupped both Rarity's and Applejack's faces and lifted them face height to them. Toxic though, was left on the ground, silently fuming on the inside.

'_Oh what?! Am I not GOOD enough for him to pick up too?! What the dip?! Discord! Discord! Discord!'_

"And at such a peril," he dropped both mares to the ground and they landed on their backs "this flu of mine is highly uh- guck uh- uh ACHOO!" He sneezed all over Rarity and Applejack. "Contagious."

Suddenly the mares turned blue from their legs up and in unison they sneezed and flew backwards.

Toxic gasped and quickly ran over to aid her now ailed friends. _'THAT IS THE LAST STRAW!'_

"Oh no, I've gotten you both sick."

"CRAM IT DISCORD!" Toxic shouted. She finally hit the breaking point.

Discord just stood in shock. What did he do? "Excuse me?"

"SHUT! UP! YOU IDIOT!" she shouted and pulled both her friends back over towards where they once were "YOU JERK! YOU STUPID, MEAN, OBNOXIOUS JERK! YOU JUST SNEEZED ON THEM ON PURPOSE! YOU JUST GOT THEM SICK! LOOK AT THEM! THEY'RE BLUE!"

"Well I-"

"YOU BE QUIET!" Toxic heaved and lifted Applejack on her back first, extending her wings to balance the weight, then moved over to Rarity and lifted her with her magic next to Applejack on her back. It was a tight fit and a little heavy, but her wings helped balance the burden.

"Discord- I just can't believe you! You have been ranting on and on about how we're your friends and you just got two of your _friends_ sick!"

"But-"

"And Fluttershy! Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy! What was that about her being the _only_ pony who understands you? That she was the _only_ one who would take care of you. NEWSFLASH! I'm right here you know! I like you too! Another friend willing to spend the whole day helping you feel better right under your runny, sick nose! Do you have any brains inside your head or is it all just cotton candy?! You just- just- acted like she was your _only_ friend! What about ME?! What about the girl who owes her whole life here in Equestria to you?! I'm nothing right?! No, who needs some human gone equine when you could be with the gentle, kind Pegasus that was there first! WHATEVER! I don't care!"

"But I just-"

"SAVE IT!" Toxic yelled and turned her back to him, the two mares she was carrying starting to sneeze again, emphasizing the angry mares point that he had purposely gotten them sick. "Discord, stay away from Twilight. And you can forget me taking care of you! Because now I have two poor ill friends that need me more, since they aren't magical spirits of chaos. You need help, go find Pinkie or Dash because now Rarity and Applejack need me because of what YOU did!"

She started trotting away slowly at first before picking up her pace and carrying her friends off somewhere far away from _him_. She was so- so- angry! He had the gull to sneeze directly on them- DIRECTLY on them! If he wasn't already sick, she would buck him so hard in the jaw he'd lose that stupid snaggletooth of his!

"Tox-"

"BUCK OFF DISCORD!"

Toxic went faster until she reached galloping speed and could no longer see or hear the cause of her stress. "Don't worry girls. Sweet Apple Acres isn't that far away and then I'll take good care of you until I get help with a cure."

"Th-Thank you," she heard Rarity mumble.

"Just try and relax until we get there."

…

Once Toxic reached Sweet Apple Acres she was greeted by the sight of Big Macintosh bucking the apple trees and Applebloom collecting the apples in baskets. Once the two saw their sister and friend so oddly ill, Big Mac took Applejack off Toxic's back and the two brought the sick mares into the house and laid both down in Applejack's bed for the time.

Granny Smith had caught sight and started cooking up some home remedies she said would all do the trick, but since the bug had come from the embodiment of chaos himself Toxic was skeptical. Not that she didn't believe in the remedies (she'd had plenty that did and did not work for her before) but if this flu came from Discord there really was no telling what could get rid of it.

Soon Toxic found spare time on her hooves with Big Mac and Granny Smith insisting she take a break since she had to carry _both_ sickly mares from the train station. And since she really was tired from the trip and her wings were cramping up, she had no choice but to agree she needed a quick breather.

After a glass of water and a quick snack of three apples she felt fine, but Rarity and Applejack had fallen asleep and she had nothing else to do but think for the moment. But every time she let her thoughts take over, she kept thinking back to what she yelled at Discord.

'_Why did I say that? Stupid! He deserved to be yelled at for infecting Rarity and Applejack, but that stuff about him and Fluttershy was uncalled for. And why did I even think that? Sure I didn't like that he said she was the only one who cared but… why did it hurt so much? And why is it every time he said her name I felt sick? I don't hate Fluttershy. She's one of my best friends and she's just the kindest little sweetheart ever! Every time I see her scared I just wanna wrap her in a blanket, give her a cup of tea, and tell her everything's gonna be alright. She's great. But why is it when he talked about her like that that it made me so mad? Like seeing red kind of mad. What is wrong with me?'_

Toxic spent most of her time waiting on Applejack and Rarity while Big Mac got back to the fields with Applebloom and Granny Smith kept trying different kinds of homemade remedies that, frankly, were getting weirder and grosser every time. How was heated apple juice mixed with honey, leaves, and lathered onto the skin supposed to help? Open up the nostrils or something?

Soon toxic came to the most dimwitted conclusion she thought Discord could ever make a flu have.

"Chocolate milk?" both ill mares said in unison.

Toxic set the tray down in front of them with two freshly made glasses of chocolate milk. "Well this is Discord that got you sick. It's worth a shot, right?"

The two looked at each other before simply shrugging and figuring trying would do no harm. Both grabbed a glass and slowly drank the chocolaty liquid it held and then set their now empty glasses back down.

The reaction took a minute, but the girls suddenly had the blue literally drain from their bodies and onto the bed and floor before it them vanished in a flash of both light and rainbow colored confetti.

"My word it worked!" Rarity exclaimed with a relieved smile on her face due to the fact that her coat was now its proper alabaster color.

"Well I'll be," Applejack said while inspecting her own coat "that giant idiot made it simple this time."

"Actually the trick was that all medical issues aside you had to remember that this illness came from Discord and what two things do we see him drink and eat all the time?"

"Chocolate milk and cotton candy," both replied.

"Exactly," Toxic sighed "I just hope he stayed away from Twilight and Cadance. I would have kept him away but I snapped at him for making you two sick and got you two out of there."

Applejack leaned over and put a hoof around her friend's neck, "Yuh chose to help yur' sick friends first. Ah'm sure Twi would understand."

Toxic weakly smiled. "Thanks AJ." She couldn't help but gaze out the window across the room and wonder. "I just really hope he doesn't makes things too crazy."

…

**Well hello! This idea actually came into my brain maybe a week or so after the episode first aired. I was all like 'hey, wouldn't it have been funny if Toxic had been there?' and the other part of my brain was all like 'Y. E. S. Spells yes! Do it! Do it! Do it!' so for a few weeks I've been screening the episode over and over and scripting it out with Toxic added into the mix. Of course it will get a bit fluffy at times (very little though) and more of developing care towards one another between Discord and Toxic Wastenote. Him appreciating her a bit more and her learning more about his inner feelings. But I hope to see this going somewhere. **

**You may even call this a slightly late Valentine's special. GOD I love Valentine's Day! It's just so filled with love and friendship and beauty and hugs and kisses and happy and smiles! And I know that sounds totally vomit inducing but having one full day of it a year is kinda nice. Of course I've been single every Valentine's Day so far but honestly that's not the point. You get Valentines from friends and family and people that are just always chipper about everything. And I always get jewelry from my mom and you may think its lame but I get a shopping spree this year and school was closed two extra days due to snow so it was pretty awesome on my side of the bargain. Whatever fool!**

**So I still cover the end of the episode in the next chapter and then starts the part that is completely out of my own magnificent brain! (God do I really sound that bad when I brag?) So here's to hoping you enjoyed this and want to read the next chapter. **

**Kisses! –Toxic Wastenote XD**


	2. Hope

**What is up everybody?! So second chapter right? Awesome, just awesome. Glad to see you stuck around for it. It is nice seeing people actually care about what I spend such long times typing. Of course typing this on a bit of a sad note right now. My great aunt's boyfriend (he's basically my uncle) died of cancer. So typing up a part of this story actually seems to be an emotional drainer right now. Plus I have to go to a psychiatric to see if I might have chemical imbalances in my brain. It- it's sad I guess. But even in hard times I need to escape reality… especially now. **

**But now for what you came here for. Last time…**

**Twilight Sparkle was thrilled to finally spend some one on one time with her sister-in-law, Princess Cadance. But who showed up last minute to crash the party, but none other than Discord himself. Claiming he was ill, Discord came seeking his closest and dearest friend… Fluttershy, who has left on a trip. But he was unaware that boasting about the Pegasus being the only pony who cared about him upset another good friend, Toxic Wastenote. **

**Toxic ended up in an internal struggle about her deeper feelings for the draconequus and in the end, Rainbow Dash flew off, Pinkie Pie was distracted by a balloon, and the only survivors were Applejack, Rarity, and Toxic herself. Boasting about taking care of one another is what friends do, Discord volunteers the three remaining mares as his own personal nurses. Outraged, Rarity and Applejack try to refuse but agree to keep him away from Twilight and Cadance… until Discord sneezes on both planning mares and gets them in return sick. Angry, hurt, and reached the breaking point, Toxic Wastenote calls the spirit out and scolds him for getting their friends sick and yelled at him for saying only Fluttershy cared.**

**Leaving with both sick mares on her back, Toxic retreats to Sweet Apple Acres to care for her ill friends. But upon arriving and getting Rarity and Applejack in bed, Toxic immediately starts to regret what she yelled at Discord about Fluttershy. Confused and emotional, Toxic pushes it aside for the moment to help heal her friends and plead to Celestia that Discord doesn't ruin Twilight and Cadance's time together. **

**Now, see what happens next, in this next part of…. NURSE TOXIC REPORTING FOR DUTY!**

_**(Anyone who can figure out what anime show's recap process I'm referencing gets a cookie!)**_

* * *

**Part 2: Hope **

"You girls feeling better?" Toxic Wastenote asked her two friends.

"One hundred percent dear. Thank you," Rarity responded and flipped her purple mane.

"Yuh saved our hides there Toxic," Applejack said.

"Aw no, I just- yuh know did what anypony would do, heh." Toxic rubbed her neck bashfully, not wanting any praise after how she stormed off and left Discord unsupervised. "I really don't think I did anything big. I just- I left Discord alone."

"And?" Rarity questioned.

"_And_ he's probably ruining Twilight and Cadance's visit. I could have stopped him! I guess I feel a bit… guilty."

Applejack pat her friend on the back. "Now listen here, you don't have anythin' to be feelin' guilty 'bout."

"No, Applejack, I do." Toxic removed her friend's hoof and looked down at the floor. "I yelled all those things about Discord. I called him stupid! I cut him off! I- I- I yelled at him about calling Fluttershy the only pony who understood him!" The mare held her face in her hooves in shame. Why had she acted that way? She crossed the line now. Discord must _hate_ her. Or he thinks she hates him. Either way, she ruined their friendship forever.

"Toxic, darling look at me." Rarity held Toxic's hooves in her's and made her look her in the eyes. "What do you mean you shouted at him about Fluttershy?"

Toxic took a deep breathe, and let out a sob. "I feel terrible! I yelled at him because he said Fluttershy was the only pony who understands him! I got so upset because he wanted her instead of me!" Toxic wrapped her hooves around Rarity, who returned the hug, and cried with a few tears.

"Rarity I'm a horrible friend! He was sick and I got mad because he didn't want me to take care of him! How could I do that?! Why did I do that?! When he said he came to find the one pony who truly understands him, I- I- felt so giddy! Like a little filly! But when he asked for Fluttershy, I- I- I- I hurt! My stomach hurt so badly! My chest! It was- was my heart! I felt so betrayed that he didn't think I cared and I yelled in his face! I- I mean he deserved to be scolded for getting you two sick, but- but I- I crossed the line! I don't think he'll ever forgive me! Or he thinks I hate him! Or he hates me! OR BOTH! I'm a horrible, terrible, sad excuse of a friend!"

Rarity rubbed her hoof over the crying mare's mane, smoothing it out gently. "Dear I don't understand. You were jealous of him wanting Fluttershy?"

Toxic quietly nodded her head and stuck her face into Rarity's mane to hide. "I- I know it sounds stupid, but it hurt so much! I don't know why! But I- I was a bad friend! He was sick and I refused to help him!"

"Toxic, are you sure that you yelling at Discord is the _only_ reason you feel so upset?"

Toxic removed her muzzle from the unicorn's purple locks. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Rarity had a small grin, "I'm asking if maybe… you feel a little _more_ for Discord than friendship?"

Toxic felt her face go bright red, and she looked like Christmas from back on Earth barfed on her. "WH-WHAT?! Rarity, what in CELESTIA'S MANE made you think that I might feel… _that way_ towards Discord?!"

Applejack laughed playfully. "Oh come on now Toxic! The way you talk to him, the way you stand by him no matter what we say, or common sense might ah' add, and barely five seconds goes by without yuh laughin' at his annoyin' jokes."

"Th-that's not true!" the blushing mare insisted "w-we're just friends! That's all we are! FRIENDS!"

The two mares just smiled knowingly and giggled.

"Stop that! I do not, repeat, do NOT. Have. A. Crush! On! DISCORD!" She stomped her hooves in frustration and yelled at the sky.

Neither of her friends' expressions changed.

She sighed and blushed deeper. If it was even possible. Her face was now a cherry.

"O-ok, maybe I- might sorrta kinda maybe feel a little itty bitty tiny weeny slightly more _close_ to Discord that friendship."

Rarity squealed, or more appropriately screeched 'eeeeeeeh' to the sun. "I knew it! Oh it's so romantic! The two of you! Together! Both once outcasts that now can't imagine _ever_ being apart from one another!"

Toxic was surprised. Rarity thought it was romantic? Romantic… really? "You really think its ok?"

"Of course! I mean, the two of you have always seemed so detached to those emotions, but finding love with one another, two who own what they have now to each other, it's like my romance novels come to life!"

Applejack nodded, "Ah' can't say it seems very sensible tuh' meh', but neither uh ya'll are very concerned about that. And… yuh' do seem kinda right fer' each other."

Toxic stared at the floor in embarrassment with her rosy red cheeks burning and her neck dipped low. "Th-thanks," her head sprung back up, her face pleading "but please, please, please, please, _please_ don't tell anypony! ESPECIALLY Discord! Or Twilight, she'd freak! Or Fluttershy, I don't want her to think I hate her! Or Rainbow, she would totally let it slip! And defiantly, DEFINATLY not Pinkie! I don't want a 'Toxic and Discord belong together party'!"

Both ponies held a hoof to their hearts and replied in unison, "We promise."

"Not good enough," Toxic said "I need an unbreakable promise. You know what I mean."

Rarity and Applejack sighed, fully understanding the only promise no pony or any creature dared break.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Both went through the motions of the pledge, ending with a hoof on an eye and a smile from Toxic.

"Good, but of course Pinkie probably knows that we're keeping a secret now."

**...Somewhere in a desert…**

"Get back here!"

Pinkie Pie chased the balloon as it continued floating over to the edge of the cliff in the desert. She had followed it this far, she had no intention of letting it get away.

Pinkie stretched her neck out and kept biting to grab the string, but losing it or missing every time. "Almost! Almost!"

Teetering at the edge of the large, yellow sand cliff over a plummet to a sea of sand and rock, she strained and nipped at the string one last time while standing on one hoof at the very tip top of her hoof like a ballerina.

And she got it.

She refrained from yelling out her cheers to remain grasping the string but clapped and waved her front legs in joy and victory. Then it hit her.

She whipped her head back around and trotted toward where Ponyville would lie.

"Two ponies just made Pinkie Promises!" And the balloon got away again.

Pinkie Pie groaned in annoyance, face hooved, and went after it again. Once it flew over the edge of the cliff, the mare clapped her hooves together, and swan dived off the cliff to the below.

...**Back to the story…**

"Do you girls honestly I have a chance with Discord?"

'_What if we're meant to be? What if we're soul mates? What if he ends up being the love of my life?!'_

"Well ah' don't see any other pony he looks at differently beside you," Applejack said.

"No," Toxic mumbled before a small frown formed on her face "he looks at Fluttershy differently."

Rarity patted her back, "As a friend darling! Nothing more!"

"Or she wants to be friends and he is head over hooves in love with her." Toxic felt a tear sting her eye. He was always so clingy to Fluttershy. She was his first friend in _ever_ and of course he would see her in a different light than all the others. She was the first one to accept him for who he was. And who was Toxic? No one. Just no one.

'_Well of course he would like her. You're not so soft, and warm and loving. You can't sing animals to sleep and speak to little mice or flutter delicately. Fluttershy is the perfect little good girl of every stallion's dreams. Why would he ever look at me when he could have her?'_

"Toxic what are you saying?" Rarity asked.

The green alicorn sniffled, trying to force her cries down into her stomach. She snuffed her feelings down, down, down… and suddenly burst out crying and wrapped her hooves around Rarity's neck and shoved her face deep into her friend's purple mane while sobbing.

"R-Rarity I'm no one! He-He- he'll never c-care about m-me!"

"Toxic please calm down!" The unicorn held her friend in her embrace and smoothed out her mane. "Please don't cry dear! You are most certainly not a no one!"

"T-To Discord I am! He doesn't like me like that! He-He'll NEVER like me like that! He has Fl-Fluttershy! Why would he want me?!"

Applejack put her hoof on Rarity's shoulder, and with a look that said _'Let me handle it'_, Rarity let her hold on the crying mare go and passed her over to the orange earth mare.

Applejack held Toxic in her hooves as the alicorn dove her muzzle into the thick blonde mane she was hiding her tears in. "Toxic," Applejack said rather softly "Ah' need you tuh' look at me."

Toxic shook her head in the mess of mane she hid in. She didn't want them to see her crying. She didn't want ANYPONY to see her crying.

"Toxic… please look up ah me."

The crying mare shook uncontrollably. She shivered and sniffled in an effort to control herself.

'_What do I have to lose? They know I'm crying and nothing they say could make it better or worse.'_

Toxic looked up at Applejack, and she saw a concerned and caring look in the bright green eyes. "Toxic, Ah' have never seen a more funny, kind, loving, brave, strong mare than yuh' in all mah life. You have every right and reason tuh love Discord and Ah' have absolutely no doubt that if'n he ever wanted somepony to love, he would choose you in uh heartbeat."

Toxic sniffled again. _'B-But… Fluttershy… Discord…' _Toxic hugged Applejack tightly. "Applejack… it just hurts so much."

The orange mare held her and stroked her mane gently, "Ah' know sugar cube. Ah' know."

Toxic let go and wiped her eyes and tears with her hoof. Her eyes were still red from crying and her face a bit puffy, but that would all go away with time. "Th-Thanks AJ." She looked back at Rarity. "And thanks too Rarity."

"Oh dear come here," the fashionista unicorn embraced her friend in a sudden hug that caught the alicorn off guard, but she gladly accepted and returned the embrace. "I had no idea you felt that way."

"I- I didn't either… I guess I just don't deal with emotions very well."

"You should suppress them like that."

Toxic rubbed her eyes dry for (hopefully) the last time. "This- This isn't the time to focus on _my_ issues though. Discord has probably already ruined Twilight's and Cadance's visit."

"But Toxic-"

"Rarity please," Toxic pleaded "I'll talk about it after we handle this mess first." She sighed, "Besides, I want to apologize to Discord. I- I really don't want him to think I'm still mad. And I crossed the line with his friendship with Fluttershy. And jerk or not he's a friend and he's sick. If I just sat back and let him suffer… I… I… I could never look at myself in the mirror again."

A white flash of light lit up the room for a sec before it was gone and a scroll dropped to the floor in the middle of the room.

"Huh, probably from Twi," Applejack said and picked up the letter and unrolled it.

"I was just so cold to him and he was ill, he needed help. He needed _my_ help, and I turned away from him."

Applejack skimmed over the letter, he eyes getting bigger and bigger as she read.

"I was- I was a bad friend! He was just being himself! How could I turn him away when he was so sick?!"

"Uhhhh… Toxic," Applejack said quietly "yuh night wanna read this here letter _first_."

Toxic turned back at Applejack and was hoofed over the letter. She slowly read it over, her expression changing from guilt and sorrow to anger and hurt as she got further into it. When she was done, she rolled the scroll back up while frowning, placed it on the floor, and looked up slowly.

"_Hate._" And she quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Rarity looked at the orange earth mare questionably. "Um Applejack, what was that about?"

"_**RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! DISCORD! DISCORD I'LL KILL YOU! AHHHHH! YOU CHEATING, LIEING, DIRTY, SCUM BAG, WROTTEN, NO GOOD, EXCUSE OF A FRIEND! I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE YOU FAKER! AHHHHHHHH!"**_

Rarity jumped in fright of the loud screams of anger coming from just outside the room. "What is that about?!"

Applejack just picked up the scroll and gave it to Rarity. Rarity then unrolled the scroll with her magic and read it carefully.

_Applejack, Rarity, and Toxic,  
Discord did in fact show up and interrupt my visit with Cadance, but it actually didn't turn out so bad. He claimed he was sick with something called the Blue Flu and wanted me and Cadance to care for him. After the complete and utter chaos that ensued, he told us that the only cure was the petals of a rare flower turned into tea for him to drink. _

_So Cadance and I traveled, Discord in tow, to retrieve the flower so we could finally have our visit. When we retrieved the flower we ran into a rather tricky problem. Cadance and I fought and defeated the giant worm known as the Tatzlwurm, and together we saved each other._

_But, we found out that this illness Discord had was actually all a lie. He was never sick. He claimed he wanted to test his friendship with me and I have honestly no doubt that that was a lie and he just wanted to ruin my time with my sister-in-law, but Cadance actually said she had a fun time and that peace was great but boring at times. _

_And as karma would have it, the Tatzlwurm ended up sneezing on Discord and now he's sick for real. He is currently at Fluttershy's cottage for her return tonight. He also mentioned something about getting you, Rarity and Applejack, sick and upsetting you, Toxic. I'm not sure but if you want to come and see him we have him quarantined in a bubble until we know he isn't contagious._

_But I have to say, the irony is just amazing to point out to him!_

_Sincerely, Twilight._

"Ohhh, she must be very upset," Rarity pointed out.

"Eeyup, and I frankly can't blame 'er. She was feeling guilty about leaving Discord alone and sick and he really was ship-shape."

"_**DISCORD! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"**_

The whole house shook as the girls felt Toxic dart out the hall, out the front door, and dash off into the sky. From the window, they could see a trail of green flames in the sky behind the steadily fading form of Toxic.

"Oh no! She's really mad!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Yeah! And Ah' don't think her and Discord bein' in the same room right now is uh good idea."

"Well then we have to follow her and try and get there before she does! Or else I don't think –_gulp_- there will be a Discord to save anymore!"

"Ah' don't think there will be uh Ponyville anymore! The mare's leaving the air on fire!"

"Right! Which means all the more faster we must run!"

Neither mare particularly liked Discord, or even cared much for him, but no pony or creature of any kind should be at the receiving end of fury that strong. The two ran from the house, ignoring Granny Smith's questions of what was going on and just shouting that Toxic was MAD. They took the shortest route to Fluttershy's cottage and just hoped they wouldn't be too late when they got there.

* * *

'_You're MINE Discord! I will ROAST your HEART over an open FLAME! If he thinks I was MAD before, THAN HE'S ABOUT TO BE MURDERED BY MY HOOVES STRANGLING HIM TO DEATH!'_

Toxic Wastenote was mad. REALLY mad. So mad she was leaving a trail of green flames in her wake through the sky.

Her mission. Find Discord and DESTROY him. Make him howl with pain and beg for mercy that she will laugh at and deny him.

How dare he lie to her! How dare he deceive her! How dare he make her think she was a terrible friend!

'_Your hide will be mounted on a wall Discord! I will feed your limbs to the timber wolves! And your head is now my soccer ball and your eyes Ping-Pong balls! This whole time I thought I was the terrible friend. But really you were the lying, no good, arrogant, mean, BAD, HATEFUL, SLOBBISH, SON OF CHAOS!'_

She was about to pass a cyan Pegasus on a cloud napping.

Rainbow Dash heard a loud sound buzzing in the air that made her ear twitch and she sat up from her cloud. From a sort distance she saw her friend Toxic coming at her.

At first she grinned and waved to her with a greeting, "Hay! Toxic! How's it hangin'?" But the she noticed Toxic wasn't slowing down, if anything she was going faster, and the look of pure rage in her eyes. Pure, red, fiery rage.

Toxic ignored her friend not on purpose, but she was so focused on Discord she didn't even notice her presence. She sped right by Rainbow, setting the cloud on fire with green flames that fell from her wings and the air.

"Ah! Fire! Hot, hot, hot!" Rainbow jumped up into the air and hovered as she put out her tail from the fire. "Jeez! What's up with her?"

"Rainbow!"

Rainbow Dash looked back in the direction Toxic just came from to see Rarity and Applejack galloping full speed in her direction.

"Girls? What's up with Toxic? She was like SUPER mad. She even set my cloud on fire and ruined my nap!" The Pegasus stomped her hoof on the cloud and it and the fire evaporated into the air.

"She IS super mad!" Applejack exclaimed. "She found out that Discord was just pretendin' he was sick and now she's angrier than an Ursa Major woken up from hibernation!"

"He was faking! Aw I knew he was a jerk but pretending something was wrong with him is a new low!"

"Rainbow you are missing the point!" Rarity yelled. "Toxic is furious and she's heading over to Fluttershy's cottage right now to… get revenge on Discord who actually IS sick now! She's going to murder him!"

"And?"

"RAINBOW!" both mares scolded.

"Alright! Alright! I'm kidding! I wouldn't actually leave the guy to be slaughtered! We just have to talk some sense into her before she gets her hooves on him."

The three took off after their friend. Rainbow Dash flew through the air after Toxic's trail while Rarity and Applejack followed on hoof. They just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Pinkie Pie skipped happily back to Ponyville. She _finally_ caught the balloon! She smiled widely as she trotted back home to tell her friends the news… and throw a 'Yay! Pinkie caught the balloon!' party.

However, something off to the distance made her Pinkie Sense start twitching. Something on fire, with green flames, and was heading towards her, FAST!

"Huh? Who's so angry?"

The burning ball of fury darted past her, and Pinkie realized it was her green alicorn friend and smiled.

"Toxic! Hay lookie! I caught the balloon!"

She was ignored as Toxic flew right over her in the air leaving her flame trail behind and, accidentally, lighting Pinkie's crazy pink mane on fire.

"AHHH! HOT! HOT! HOT! I'M ON FIRE!"

Pinkie dropped and rolled to put out her mane, frantically swatting at the flames as if she believe that would help.

"PINKIE!"

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all caught up to the pink mare and saw her mane ablaze with green flames. Rainbow gathered a nearby cloud and caused a down pour over her friend's head to cause the flames to sizzle and die, leaving nothing behind but charred chunks of Pinkie's mane.

"WOW! Thanks Dashie!" Pinkie said and smiled to her friends. "Why was Toxic so upset? She was on fire! Literally!"

"She found out Discord wasn' really sick an now she's extra angry and plannin' on ripping him apart piece by piece unless we get to her first an talk some sense in-tuh her!" Applejack yelled before they bolted again, running out of time quickly.

"DISCORD WAS LYING?!" Pinkie shouted before she followed her friends. "WAIT FOR ME GIRLS!"

* * *

'_Find him, gut him, and string him up a flag pole! Find him, gut him, and string him up a flag pole!_ _Find him, gut him, and string him up a flag pole!'_

Toxic was almost there. She could _smell_ Discord he was so close. And he smelt down right awful! She could see Fluttershy's cottage coming into view at the horizon. She was SO close! Almost there!

She touched ground before she even realized it and ran for the door, the flames extinguishing before entering the home.

She beat on the door and unsurprisingly Twilight was the one to answer with a smile. "Toxic! You came? I thought you were mad at Dis-"

The purple alicorn was cut off as her friend ran past her and straight into the house, leaving Twilight in a cloud of dust and sparks that threatened to once again become flames.

"Toxic?" Twilight mumbled as she suddenly noticed the sparks that sizzled away in the air. Eyes widening, she quickly retreated after her friend to stop whatever catastrophe was on the verge of exploding.

Toxic made it in to the living room before spotting her target… in a giant bio-hazard dome literally sick in bed.

'_RAHHH! I can't kill him when he's in that bubble!'_

"YOU!"

When Discord heard the all too familiar voice he froze before spotting her. "T-Toxic," he chuckled nervously "uh, hay this isn't as bad –achoo!- as it looks."

"Not as bad?" she echoed "NOT AS BAD?!"

Twilight was back to the living room only just in time to witness her friend explode.

"YOU LIED TO ME! YOU SAID YOU WERE SICK, YOU NEEDED HELP, THAT YOU WERE _HELPLESS_! YOU BIG FAT LIAR! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED YOU!"

Twilight came up behind her friend and rested a hoof on her shoulder. "Toxic stay calm. I know you're upset but-"

"YOU'RE RIGHT I'M BUCKING UPSET! I'M FURIOUS! DISCORD, YOU LIED TO ME! YOU GOT RARITY AND APPLEJACK SICK! AND YOU BUTTED IN ON TWILIGHT AND CADANCE'S VISIT!"

Her eyes felt wetter, tears threatening to spill. _'No! No! No! Don't cry! Keep yelling at him!'_

"I FELT SO BAD ABOUT YELLING AT YOU EARLIER!" One tear showed up at the corners of her eyes. "I THOUGHT I WAS A HORRIBLE FRIEND LEAVING YOU ALL ALONE AND SICK! B-BUT REALLY… _YOU_ WERE A BAD FRIEND! YOU WERE LYING RIGHT TO MY FACE WHEN YOU SAID YOU NEEDED HELP!" She fumed out her nose as the tear leaked out of her eye. "B-But worst of all, the worst part is… is… YOU STILL DIDN'T COME TO _ME_ FOR HELP, YOU WENT TO FLUTTERSHY'S PLACE! AGAIN! WHY AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU DISCORD?!" She cried out at him as she backed away.

At this time, the other elements had come in through the door and reached the scene inside. And while Pinkie and Rainbow were confused, Rarity and Applejack understood fully what had made Toxic so upset. Rarity couldn't help but feel bad for her friend, so clearly cut deeply by scorn and betrayal that she couldn't trust him ever again. It was just _so_ much like her romance novels!

Twilight came back up to her friend's side and rubbed her back in a small effort to calm her down. "Toxic please, breath, calm down."

Toxic sniffled and wiped a hoof to get rid of her tears. "I- I need some- some air."

"Are you su-"

"I just need some air!" she cut Twilight off. She bound away from the liar and past her friends trying to call to her to calm back of if she was ok.

On her way out she passed a returning Fluttershy, who tried greeting her friend but was ignored and run away from in a split second. The Pegasus was a little hurt and very confused that her friend just ignored her, but she entered her home and found all her other friends present.

"Um girls, uh, why was Toxic crying?"

* * *

The crying green alicorn landed just a mile away at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Once again she was scolding herself for bringing up Fluttershy when yelling at Discord.

'_STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! YOU IDIOT! Why do you keep yelling at him about him and Fluttershy?! He's allowed to have other friends than you! You STUPID, NOSEY, REDUNDANT, UGLY, WORTHLESS, INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE-'_

"Toxic?" a soft voice called.

Toxic whimpered and rubbed her red face of tears and… other fluids that come out of the nostrils. "F-Fluttershy?"

"Are you ok?" the butter Pegasus asked as she came up next to her.

Toxic sniffled, "I-I'm fine. Gr-great."

The Pegasus didn't look convinced at all. "Toxic please don't keep your feelings bottled up," Fluttershy pulled the mare into a gentle hug "If you're hurting please talk to me."

Toxic swallowed hard to suffocate another sob. "F-Flutter-sh-shy."

"It's ok sweetie, just tell me what's wrong."

Toxic gulped down the knot in her throat, took a deep breathe…

…and started singing.

"_Hooves touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl  
He could be that male  
But I'm not that mare."_

Fluttershy watched as Toxic moved out of the hug and turned her back to her. The tears slid down the neon green cheeks and hit the grass below her.

"_Don't dream too far  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy  
He could be that male  
I'm not that mare."_

The broken mare sat on her haunches and cried in front of her friend. The emotions all pouring out from her eyes. The anger, sadness, jealousy, frustration, and confusion. It all seeped out and mixed into a large puddle of sobbing, raging display of emotions from the alicorn.

"_Ev'ry so often I long to steal  
To the land of what-might-have-been  
But that doesn't soften the ache I feel  
When reality sets back in."_

Toxic turned back to Fluttershy, with tears still in her eyes.

"_Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome, she wins him  
Pink hair with a gentle curl  
That's the mare he chose  
And Celestia knows  
I'm not that mare."_

Fluttershy realized Toxic stared at her when she sang that. It all seemed to slowly piece together in her head why Toxic had run out of her house, why she flew a mile away to sob, why she didn't talk to her on the way out.

"_Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl  
There's a mare I know  
He loves her so  
I'm not that mare..."_

Toxic took a deep breath and let another sob rack through her body. She dropped her face into her hooves and cried to herself on the ground. She knew that odds were Fluttershy knew the song was about her, Toxic, and Discord.

'_That's it. She's gonna hate me now and then tell Discord and then he'll laugh and then hate me too and then he'll tell Twilight and she'll lecture me that me and him are impossible by nature or something.'_

She was reasonably surprised when she felt herself be picked up and squeezed into a tight hug. The shy Pegasus's wings wrapped around her to add to the embrace. At first she had no response, certain that the hug was just a product of her imagination. But then she felt herself breakdown in the hooves of her friend, tears slid down her cheeks as she dug her face into Fluttershy's shoulder.

"Toxic I-I'm so sorry," Fluttershy whispered.

"P-please Fluttershy no!" Toxic said muffled into the fur "You didn't do anything wrong!"

"I did! I didn't know you- you felt- like that- about Discord! Or- or that you thought he liked me more!"

Toxic unwrapped herself to look Fluttershy in the eye. "Fluttershy please. You didn't know _any_ of this. It's not your fault." She tilted her head to the ground. "It's just – Discord always talks about you being his best and only friend. I- I mean I know you reformed him and all, but I guess deep down I always hoped, maybe, he and I- he would… see me as a little more than a friend."

Fluttershy wiped her own tears away before doing so to Toxic. "Sweetie I would never try to steal Discord from you. I love being friends with him but there's nothing more between us."

Toxic sighed. "I know Flutters. You're way too nice to try and steal him from me. It's just… whenever I hear him talking about you like that… I just feel so hurt! I care about him Fluttershy, and I want to scream it to the world! But if I did I know I'd just creep him out. There's just no way around this!"

Toxic dropped to the ground, all cried out, she lay in dry sorrow on the grass. Then she felt Fluttershy petting her mane.

"Do you know what Discord talked about after you stormed out?" Toxic shook her head. "He ranted about him being an idiot and went through five different lectures from Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight without a peep. He didn't even make a joke or laugh or smile. He just laid there and felt bad about how he treated you and made you cry."

Toxic picked her head up, hope faintly lit in her eyes. "Really? He- he felt bad about making me cry?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Of course he did. You're one of his best friends… and maybe even a little more some day."

Toxic smiled and got up and hugged her friend. "Thank you Flutters. Thank you so much."

Fluttershy returned the hug. "You're welcome."

"By the way Applejack and Rarity already know I kinda like him."

"Oh, that explains a little why they were so much more upset than the others."

They separated and walked back towards the cottage, Toxic having a new bound of confidence.

'_Discord, one day I'll tell you. One day I'll let you know just how much I care about you and I promise after that day things will only get better from there. One day soon I'll tell you that I… I… I love you.'_

* * *

**Song was **_I'm Not That Girl by Idina Menzel_**. Of course changed slightly to more of 'I'm Not That Mare'.**

**Haha! I did it! I made the second chapter! Woo hoo! So this was part 2 which I decided to title 'Hope' because of the talk with Fluttershy and Applejack's and Rarity's encouragement. I think Toxic did need a little help to believe in her emotions instead of keeping them down. That's actually what I do. Of course I do have to go to therapy…. Maybe a bad example. **

**So I'm very proud of this (at least for the moment) and can't wait for part 3. The next part should cover Discord going under Toxic's care and the start of a rift between the two both awkward and large.**

**I think that's all I have to say… I can't really think because it's late and I have a headache and if I don't get some sleep soon I'm going to throw a chair out my window. So I hope you liked it! **

**Bye! Bye!**

**-Toxic Wastenote (: **


End file.
